Srinagar Feb 20 (KNO): The Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department on Friday said there is currently no proposal under consideration to establish a Model District Hospital in Reasi.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Kuldeep Raj Dubey in the Legislative Assembly, H&ME Minister Sakeena Itoo, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the details of doctors and paramedical staff attached to or from the institution are available in official records. She added that the department maintains transparency in manpower deployment.
The minister said that District Hospital Reasi is presently equipped with a range of medical and diagnostic services. These include specialities such as Surgery, Orthopaedics, ENT, General Medicine, Ophthalmology, Dental care, Paediatrics, and Gynaecology. Diagnostic facilities like CT Scan, X-Ray, ECG, laboratory testing, dialysis, and sonography are also functional at the hospital.
Itoo said that the department discourages attachments and deployments of staff except in exceptional circumstances such as humanitarian needs, domestic exigencies, or medical grounds. This, she noted, is aimed at ensuring optimal utilisation of available manpower across healthcare institutions.
To tackle the shortage of doctors, particularly in remote and underserved areas, the government has referred 480 posts of Medical Officers to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission for recruitment. The minister said that once the selection process is completed, the newly appointed doctors will be deployed in far-flung and deficit areas as per policy.
In addition, 290 vacancies in the gazetted and paramedical categories from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, have been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board.
She added that another 608 posts are also in the process of being referred to the JKSSB after obtaining concurrence from the Finance Department.
The government is simultaneously strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Reasi district under flagship schemes, including PM-ABHIM and ECRP-II.
"A 50-bedded Critical Care Block, estimated at Rs 23.75 crore, is being established at District Hospital Reasi under ECRP-II. Additionally, a District Integrated Public Health Laboratory, being developed at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore under PM-ABHIM, is nearing completion," the minister informed. "11 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) have been approved across the district at an estimated cost of Rs 80.96 lakh each."
While the unit at CHC Katra has already been completed, work at other locations—including PHC Tote, Pouni, Mahore, Arnas, and several others—has been taken up by the executing agency, Itoo said.
The minister further informed that six-bed prefab health units have been approved under ECRP-II at multiple locations, including Budhan, Balamikote, Bhagodas, and others, with implementation already underway.
Reiterating the government’s approach, Itoo said the department is prioritising the strengthening and consolidation of existing healthcare institutions across all districts, rather than proposing new model hospitals at this stage.
The minister assured that ongoing recruitment and infrastructure development will significantly improve healthcare delivery in Reasi and other underserved regions of Jammu and Kashmir—(KNO)